Thistled Heart
by Stirling Phoenix
Summary: A series of semi-related drabbles set in the modern day, featuring Trafalgar Law and Roronoa Zoro. Chapter Three: Law's too tired to move, and Zoro has no intention of getting up anytime soon.
1. Chapter 1

Thistled Heart

Pairing: ZoLaw

Rating: T

Summary: Law attempts to get Zoro to see the doctor. Part One.

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><p>"You really should get that checked out," Law commented casually as he leaned against the kitchen counter, skimming over the newspaper and sipping his morning coffee.<p>

"There's nothing to check out," Zoro replied dryly before grabbing a carton of orange juice from the fridge and taking a seat at the table that was next to Law.

As per usual, Law merely rolled his eyes at Zoro's choice of downing the juice straight from the container, and kept his nagging comments to himself. Instead, Law preferred to address the more pressing issues.

"That's not exactly true now," Law said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Your shoulder is still bothering you."

"'S not that bad." Zoro busied himself with unwrapping one of the store-bought muffins that had been left on the table and started eating.

"Is that so?" Law asked as he turned towards Zoro and ever-so-carefully placed his hands on his shoulders. Zoro remained at ease, and other than the motions necessary for eating, he didn't make any additional movements, letting Law know that he was comfortable.

"Does this hurt?" Law's tone was innocent enough, however Zoro could not see the look of deviousness that Law was wearing. Maintaining the same feather-light touch he currently had on Zoro, Law began to run his hands back and forth along Zoro's shoulders, slowly working his way from the base of his neck to the joint.

"No," Zoro responded, relaxing into Law's touch.

"Good." Law hummed softly. "Now, how about this?"

Law only had to apply the slightest bit of pressure before he could tell that Zoro was grimacing in pain. As Law expected, Zoro didn't give any other verbal indication that his shoulder hurt, nor did he tell Law to stop. Law suspected that Zoro would sooner let him give a thorough deep tissue massage, rather than breaking down and admitting that he was in fact, suffering. Zoro's pained facial expression was more than enough for Law, and he saw no reason to make matters worse.

"That's what I thought," Law said with a satisfied expression as he released Zoro's shoulders. "It's gotten worse, hasn't it?"

Zoro let out an exasperated sigh before turning in his seat to face Law. "You said it didn't look too bad."

"That was three weeks ago, when I told you to go to the doctor in the first place," Law reminded him.

"But you're my doctor," Zoro grinned cheekily, "why can't I just see you?"

Law just rolled his eyes again. They had been over this at least a thousand times, and yet Zoro never seemed to get it through his thick skull.

"Because I'm not that kind of doctor," Law tried to reason for the umpteenth time. "You need to see someone that specializes in pain management, not a cardiologist," he emphasized, "someone who can prescribe you the proper medications, refer you to the proper rehab services, and possibly even find out if your shoulder pain is being caused by something more troublesome. Furthermore, there are laws about having intimate relationships with clientele."

"Tch, since when have you ever given a damn about the rules?" Zoro stood up and threw his empty orange juice carton and muffin wrapper away. "Besides, you can do all of that and more. Why do I have to see someone else?"

Zoro's stubbornness only agitated Law more. Law briefly considered forgetting about the entire situation and letting Zoro do what he wanted to do, which of course, was absolutely nothing. After all, Zoro had an abnormally high pain tolerance, his damn arm could be broken and he'd still workout like everything was perfectly fine. Law wasn't normally the type to badger people with his medical expertise. If his normal patients wanted to be tenaciously noncompliant and let their respective conditions worsen, Law was more willing document with the term 'studious neglect'.

However, Law just couldn't seem to let the issue slide with Zoro. He didn't understand why exactly, but he couldn't stomach the thought of seeing Zoro become his own worst enemy in terms of the proper health care. He knew that Zoro had several ambitious, physically-demanding goals in life, and from previous experience, he knew that Zoro would never achieve them if Zoro kept on refusing medical attention.

"You're going," Law finally said.

"I'm not," Zoro replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so.

Law had half a mind to smack Zoro squarely in his shoulder, just to prove his point, but he didn't. Despite Zoro's unreasonable attitude, Law had no desire to exacerbate Zoro's condition. He really didn't want to have to threaten Zoro either, but he was running out of options.

"Fine." Law shrugged nonchalantly. "Do nothing! Let your problem worsen. Let the pain become so excruciatingly unbearable that not even you can tolerate it! In fact, why don't you give up your dreams now?" Law took ahold of the countertop; he knew that if he didn't hold onto something he might lose his already slipping control.

"If you keep abusing your body without giving it time to recover from the strain, you'll fail miserably, and you'll have absolutely no one to blame but yourself!"

Zoro didn't respond for the longest time. He silently walked over to the door of his and Law's shared apartment. Law thought that Zoro would simply leave without saying anything, like he normally would when they got into arguments like this.

However, that wasn't the case this time.

"You know," Zoro said just before he was about to leave, "I didn't mean to fight with you on this. I haven't had a good experience with doctors in the past, so when the one doc I would trust with my life doesn't want to see me, and would even imply that I'm a lost cause, I'm at a loss for what to do next."

Before Law had a chance to respond, Zoro had already slammed the door behind him and was gone. The thought of following him left Law's mind as quickly as it had come. Even if he had gone after Zoro, he wouldn't have known what to say. Law had no idea how Zoro got the idea of being a lost cause, but Law suspected that mentioning the mere possibility of failure had something to do with it.

This was exactly why Law didn't want to get directly involved with Zoro's care. Not that he would ever admit it out loud, but he was afraid of permanently hurting someone he cared for. Although he was the best of the best in his profession, there were still so many things that could go wrong, and he didn't want to be responsible for ruining Zoro's dreams.

But, Zoro had said that he trusted Law, he actually trusted him with his care. Apparently, Zoro believed that if anyone could treat his sore shoulder and make everything right, it was Law. And Law had adamantly refused him.

It was then Law realized that he had already hurt Zoro more than faulty medical advice or his surgical knife ever could.

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><p>To be continued.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Thistled Heart

Pairing: ZoLaw

Rating: T

Summary: Law attempts to get Zoro to see the doctor. Part Two.

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><p>After Zoro left, Law resumed his morning routine and got ready for work. He quickly reasoned that there was no use in brooding over something he had neither the time, nor the patience to solve at the moment. Law distanced himself from all thoughts relating to Zoro, and the harsh words he said only moments ago. He didn't have the first clue on how he should go about fix this situation, let alone any new ideas on how to convince Zoro to see a proper doctor.<p>

Law was successful in keeping his mind clear, and was able to stay focused on every task his twelve hour shift at the emergency room threw at him. The hospital was unusually busy that day, and Law as constantly running back and forth between patient rooms. He didn't even have the chance to think about the dilemma he had found himself in with Zoro, not that he really minded.

With the constant of flow of new patients, Law worked well beyond his scheduled twelve hours and wasn't able to leave the hospital until after two o'clock in the morning. When he was finally able to retire for the night, Law wasn't sure what to do with himself. He wondered if Zoro was home yet. Their argument had occurred almost eighteen hours ago, after all, that was more than enough time to Zoro to clear his head and find his way back home. Even so, Law had a feeling that Zoro wouldn't be at their apartment, which meant there was only one other place he could be at this hour.

Law shivered as he wrapped his scarf around himself, and started to trek down the street towards the park. Law knew that Zoro had a tendency to get lost, but he hoped that Zoro wasn't hopelessly wandering around in this chilly November weather. Law couldn't even remember if Zoro had picked up his jacket before storming out of their apartment, which only concerned him more.

There was a special place in the plaza that both he and Zoro liked to go when things between them came rough. Although there was nothing exceptionally unique about the park water fountain to which he was headed, the tranquil atmosphere that the fixture provided was truly awe-inspiring. Law found the soft sound of water flowing and cascading into the lower to parts of the fountain to be extremely relaxing, and Zoro had always been fascinated by how the lights from the street lamps reflected off the water and provide an eerie, yet incandescent glow around the entire fountain.

As he approached his destination, he noticed that someone was already there, sitting on the park bench that sat before the water display. When he saw that easily recognizable mess of green hair, Law couldn't help but smile. In the back of his mind, he was secretly hoping that he might find him here, and the fact that Zoro appeared to have his jacket with him only made him happier.

Finally he reached the park bench and stopped next to Zoro. Not surprisingly, Zoro had his eyes closed. Law knew that Zoro hadn't fallen asleep in this weather, but was thoroughly concentrating on something else instead.

Law didn't need three guesses to figure out what Zoro was thinking about.

"I see you had the same idea," Law said, breaking the silence.

Zoro opened his eyes and looked up in his direction; a small smile appeared on his lips. "You didn't come home after work, so I thought I might find you here."

"I had to work late." Law sat down next to Zoro and took ahold of Zoro's hand, offering a silent apology. "You've been here for a while then?"

Zoro shrugged. "Didn't feel like going home, or anywhere else for that matter."

Law didn't need Zoro to elaborate any further. He knew exactly why Zoro wanted to be here. After all, he had the exact same reason.

"Listen," Law started, suddenly unsure of how he wanted to proceed with the conversation. He was very much tempted to start an entirely new conversation and pretend like their earlier fight hadn't happened. He knew that Zoro would most likely let him get away with it, but as appealing as the idea sounded, Law knew he couldn't take the easy way out. If he did, any hope of getting Zoro to a proper doctor would be gone, and Zoro's pain would only get worse.

Law took a deep breath and tried again. "About what I said earlier, I didn't mean it like that."

"Hm?" Zoro looked at Law with questioning eyes. "Then what did you mean?"

Law frowned at the question. "You can't seriously think that I meant for you to give up on your dreams."

"I don't," Zoro admitted, "but then again, it's hard to read you sometimes."

"You're no picture book yourself, you know?" Law chuckled.

"So you keep telling me." The light tone in Zoro's voice was suddenly gone. "Law?"

"Yes?" Law asked, looking up into Zoro's gray eyes as he did so.

"Do you think that taking me on as a patient would be too much of a burden to you?" Zoro asked with complete seriousness.

Law was a little thrown off by Zoro's direct question, but nevertheless, he answered with the utmost sincerity.

"Not at all."

"Then why," Zoro tried again, "why won't you be my doctor?" Zoro sighed. "I know you're right. I know that my shoulder's only gonna get worse if I don't do anything, but still, I don't want anyone except for you as a doctor."

"I know that." Law nodded. "Believe me, I understand your point. However, I truly believe that you would receive better care in the hands of someone else." He laughed mirthlessly. "Is it really so hard for you to believe that I only want what's best for you?"

"I've always known that." Zoro smiled. "Truth be known, I think it's harder for you to realize that you are what's best for me."

"If you really think that, then you're a fool," Law scoffed, not willing to listen to Zoro's endearing remarks.

"Maybe so, but you are the sole owner of this fool's complete trust." Zoro leaned in towards Law.

"Stop it." Law turned away from Zoro. "I don't want your damn trust."

"Too late for that," Zoro chuckled, as he leaned in further. "After six years, the deed and everything's practically in your name."

Six years? Had it really been that long already? Law could hardly believe his ears; it seemed like only yesterday they had agreed to move in together. As the time spent with each started to sink in for him, Law couldn't help but grin at Zoro's antics. He shook his head and turned towards Zoro. "The deed and everything, eh?"

"You got it," Zoro said before pressing a soft kiss to Law's lips. "So?"

"Only if you meet my conditions." Law smirked.

"Which are?"

"You have to comply with all of my recommendations, suggestions, and orders. And above all else," Law said, with less certainty in his voice than he would have liked, "if your shoulder gets worse, you will see another doctor, one that I can trust to care of you properly, of course."

Zoro whistled in response. "Wow, those are some pretty harsh terms, doc," he said jokingly, "but I guess I can go along with them."

"Are you sure?" Law asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice. "Remember, the trust between a physician and a patient goes both ways.

"I know," Zoro replied. "I promise I'll listen this time," he paused for a moment, "even if you recommend me to another doctor later."

"I'm glad we agree then," Law said, grinning before he leaned in and returned Zoro's kiss, sealing the deal. As he kissed Zoro, a harsh wind blew past them, and he shivered involuntarily.

Zoro took notice of Law's chilled state and rearranged his and Law's hands so that he was now holding Law's. He stood up, pulling Law up with him.

"Let's head home," Zoro said before pulling Law along.

Law immediately realized that they were going in the opposite direction of their apartment, but he didn't say anything. As much as he disliked the cold, it didn't bother him as much when Zoro was around. Law simply smiled and followed Zoro. Zoro would find his way eventually, but until then, Law was content with wandering around the city by Zoro's side.

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><p>Author's Notes: Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows from the last chapter. You guys are the best! As always, constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement are very much welcome. Thank you!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Thistled Heart

Pairing: ZoLaw

Rating: T

Summary: Law's too tired to move, and Zoro has no intention of getting up anytime soon.

This drabble was inspired by the following prompt from the otpprompts blog on tumblr:

Imagine that your OTP just returned from a long outing. Person A, exhausted, flops down on the couch/bed. Person B, not paying attention, flops down on top of them. They're both too tired to move, so instead, they spend the next ten minutes telling the other to get off before just saying "screw it" and falling asleep like that.

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><p>As he trudged from the hallway into the bathroom, Law felt as though he was a fraction away from becoming a zombie. Work had been exceptionally tiring that day, and the only things Law wished to do was take a refreshing shower and get some well-deserved sleep. It wasn't often that Law got exhausted to the point where he felt like he could pass out as soon as he hit the pillow, but when he did, he could easily sleep the entire day away. Law disliked the idea of wasting a day off by doing nothing but sleeping, however it wasn't something he did very often, so he let it slide.<p>

Law couldn't even remember the last time he had felt such an intense need for a decent night's sleep. Unlike Zoro, who seemed to have a special talent for falling asleep at anyplace and any time of day, a substantial block of slumber seemed to constantly elude Law. Law was more than pleased with the notion that his body would finally be willing to let him rest.

Normally, he would have liked to spend a little extra time in the shower and let the warm water wash over him, allowing the spray to relax his sore and tired muscles. Tonight, however, Law spared himself no such luxury. His body seemed to run on autopilot as he went through his nightly routine.

Tired eyes stared across the wide expanse of the entire living room; Law knew that there was no way he would be able to make it to the bedroom without collapsing on the floor and slipping into a deep, restful, sleep right there on the fuzzy carpet. Although he liked the thought of falling asleep faster, Law knew he'd regret his decision the moment he woke up when he got up and discovered the unpleasant sensation of rug burn on his face.

As Law let go of threshold of the living room and attempted to make it to the bedroom, he suddenly remembered that there was a pleasant alternative to trekking all the way to his bed, or falling face-first on the floor: the couch. While it didn't exactly provide the best lumbar support, the couch's leather cushions were quite comfortable and plush, making the sofa the ideal place for Law to rest for the time being.

Law easily made it to the couch, and without a second thought, he promptly let himself fall onto it's comfy cushions. At the moment, he did not care that he'd be falling into the prone position on the sofa, nor did he care about the soreness he'd be sure to have when he woke up. The only thing that mattered was that Law would finally be getting some well-deserved sleep.

"Umph!"

The gruff noise resounded in Law's ears as his mind scrambled to figure out what had just happened. Somehow he knew what had happened, the voice was a dead-giveaway for him, however Law was too tired to put the pieces together. Even though he was surprised to find that he hadn't landed on the comfy cushions of his couch, he didn't have the energy to show it. He lazily felt the area around him until his hand wrapped around a wrist that laid beside him.

"Zoro-ya?" Law asked, more out of habit than anything else.

"Hgh," Zoro's voice groaned beneath him. "What is it?"

"What are you doing here?" Law asked grumpily.

Law didn't know how he had not seen Zoro on the couch before he flopped down on it, but that hardly mattered. Now that he was absolutely certain that he had fallen on top of Zoro, Law was quickly losing what little willpower he had left to stay awake. The answer to his question seemed abundantly obvious, however at the moment, Law didn't have the mental capacity to process the answer for himself.

"Sleeping," Zoro mumbled.

"Sleep somewhere else," Law said, subconsciously nuzzling his cheek against Zoro's shoulder. "The couch is mine."

The conscious bit of Law's mind that still possessed an inkling of rational thought knew that he was being unreasonable, that obviously Zoro had claimed the couch first, but at that moment he really didn't care. Regardless of who had taken the sofa first, Law had already made up his mind that he was there now, and he wasn't moving.

"I was here first," Zoro said groggily, just as Law knew he would. "You woke me up."

"Good," Law replied automatically. "You can move then."

"Even if I wanted to," Law could hear a trace of a smirk in Zoro's voice, "it's kinda hard to move when I've got you on top of me."

Law hummed softly. "Figure it out."

Law's response only made Zoro chuckle softly. His fingers began to idly run through Law's hair as Law again moved to cuddle against Zoro's shoulder.

"You know," Zoro said, sounding much more awake than he had moments ago, "my doctor told me not to put any added pressure on my shoulder."

Zoro's statement caused Law to open his eyes, and he realized that he was in fact, resting on Zoro's affected shoulder. Making an indignant noise, Law shifted so that his back was pressed against the back of the couch, and he was resting on the opposite shoulder.

"Happy?" Law asked sarcastically.

"Very," Zoro answered, kissing the top of Law's head as he did so. "I'm staying though."

Law sighed contently, enjoying the warmth Zoro gave him. "Fine," Law replied with mock-exasperation, "too tired to care."

Instead of replying, Zoro began to move underneath him. Law didn't quite understand what Zoro was trying to do, but he was less than amused.

"What are you-"

Before he could finish his question, he felt the warm, cozy fabric of a blanket being draped over him. Zoro's arms slipped under the blanket and wrapped around Law, giving him even more comfort.

"Since you decided to become my blanket, I figured that you deserved a blanket of your own," Zoro said softly. He leaned in and gently kissed Law's forehead before relaxing with him on the plush couch.

Law didn't respond; he smiled at Zoro's thoughtfulness before kissing Zoro's shoulder as a sign of silent gratitude. Within a matter of moments, Law fell into a deep, calming, slumber, feeling like the most fortunate man in world.

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><p>You guys are incredible, thank you so much for all of the reviews, follows, and favorites! As always, constructive criticism andor suggestions for improvement are loved and welcomed!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


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